With people in Iran already suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic and crippling U.S. sanctions, the Trump administration earlier this month unveiled yet another set of sanctions that could restrict Iranians' access to food and medicine even further. This move has gone largely unnoticed in the United States, with the first presidential debate passing without mention of Trump's disastrous "maximum pressure" policy on Iran. But for Iranians, it is impossible to ignore. -Niloofar Adnani, Responsible Statecraft 10/22/20

Tens of thousands of diabetics in Iran are said to be facing shortages of insulin, with many such patients and their loved ones complaining that the problem could have life-threatening consequences. Some Iranians have taken to social media to protest the scarcity of insulin pens and highlight their plight or that of loved ones who need daily injections of what they describe as "oxygen" for diabetics. -Golnaz Esfandiari, RFE/RL 10/22/20

Iran on Tuesday reported its highest single-day toll of new coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic with more than 5,000 new infections, as the country struggles to cope with a surge in transmission. Iran's health ministry also reported that 322 people had died from the virus, pushing the death toll over 31,000. -AP 10/20/20

Iran recorded its worst day of new deaths since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, with 337 confirmed dead on Monday. The grim milestone represents a significant spike from the previous single-day death toll record of 279. The Health Ministry also announced 4,251 new infections, pushing the total count to 534,630. -AP 10/19/20

Iran's capital has run out of intensive care beds as the country confronts a new surge of infections that is filling hospitals and cemeteries alike. The single-day death toll hit a record high three times this week. Eight months after the pandemic first stormed Iran, pummeling its already weakened economy and sickening officials at the highest levels of its government, authorities have not been able to prevent its spread. In a country devastated by American sanctions, the government considers an economic shutdown like the ones imposed in Europe and the United States impossible. -AP 10/16/20

In response to the request of the Ministry of Interior to address the needs of vulnerable children during the COVID-19 outbreak, UNICEF delivered a number of locally procured hygiene items including 30,000 hand sanitizers, 12,000 sanitizing gels, 30,000 liquid hand soaps, 11,988 sanitary pads, 33,000 detergent powder, 33,000 dishwashing liquid as well as 300,000 masks. 10/15/20

Iran, the crucible of coronavirus in the Middle East, smashed two grim records this week, reporting its largest number of deaths in a single 24 hours since the outbreak started in March, and the largest number of new infections. Iranian health officials openly admit Iran is deep into its third, and biggest, wave of the disease, and evidence suggests an exhausted and impoverished country is struggling to cope as trust in government diminishes, sanctions weaken the economy and hospitals report overcrowded intensive care units. -Patrick Wintour, Guardian 10/14/20

In 2003, when an earthquake killed thousands in the Iranian city of Bam, President George W. Bush set aside years of animosity and sent an airlift of rescuers and medical supplies. He also temporarily eased some restrictions on sending money and goods to the country. "American people care and we've got great compassion for human suffering," Mr. Bush told CNN in the aftermath of the quake. "It's right to take care of people when they hurt." -New York Times Editorial Board 10/14/20

For the second day in a row, Iran announced on Monday its highest single-day death toll from the coronavirus with 272 people confirmed dead. The announcement by Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari saw Iran also give its single-day highest count of new cases with 4,206 new patients. -AP 10/12/20

The Trump administration has blacklisted virtually all of Iran's financial sector, dealing another blow to an economy that is already reeling under U.S. sanctions. The move will deepen tensions with European nations and others over Iran. Thursday's move hits 18 Iranian banks that had thus far escaped the bulk of re-imposed U.S. sanctions and, more importantly, subjects foreign, non-Iranian financial institutions to penalties for doing business with them. Thus, it effectively cuts them off from the international financial system. -AP 10/9/20

Iranian state TV said the country has hit its highest number of daily deaths from the coronavirus, with 239 new fatalities reported on Wednesday. The report quoted the spokesperson of the country's health ministry, Sima Sadat Lari, as saying that the 239 died since Tuesday. Iran has in the past had 235 daily deaths. -AP 10/7/20

The daily count of COVID-19 infections in Iran reached 3,902 on Monday, bringing the total cases to 475,674, according to the Health Ministry. Health Ministry Spokeswoman Sima Lari said that the respiratory illness claimed the lives of 235 people in the country in the course of the past 24 hours, increasing the death tally to 27,192. 10/5/20

Public health experts have said Iranians must prepare for mounting COVID-19 infections and deaths in the coming months. The warning comes amid media reports of preferential access to drugs and treatment for lawmakers. -Deutsche Welle 10/2/20

The number of people who have died from Covid-19 has exceeded 1 million, according to a tally of cases maintained by Johns Hopkins University, with no sign the global death rate is slowing and infections on the rise again in countries that were thought to be controlling their outbreaks months ago. The milestone was reached early on Tuesday morning UK time, nine months since authorities in China first announced the detection of a cluster of pneumonia cases with an unknown cause in the central Chinese city of Wuhan. -Guardian 9/29/20

Iran witnessed a dramatic growth in the diagnosis of Bipolar Spectrum Disorder (BSD) over the last few decades. This has been accompanied by a rise in the prescription of mood stabilizers and other drugs. A new study in Culture, Medicine, and Psychiatry investigates the conditions underlying this rise in diagnosis and the accompanying controversies. -Ayurdhi Dhar, Mad In America 9/28/20

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has accused the United States of impeding his country's ability to fight coronavirus, explaining that US sanctions have prevented the purchase of critical medical supplies. Washington's efforts to stop Tehran from exporting oil have limited the government's ability to respond to the global health crisis and provide relief to the Iranian people, Zarif said in an interview with 'Worlds Apart' host Oksana Boyko. "Whatever the Americans are saying about their sanctions not affecting humanitarian items, it's just a lie... It's basically medical terrorism." -RT 9/28/20

U.S. sanctions have hobbled Iran's response to the pandemic. In March 2020, Iran became the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic outside China. In late February, after hushing up the news of the arrival of the virus, the government admitted to two deaths from the disease in the holy city of Qom. However, by then the pandemic had spread to other parts of the country. Suddenly, Iran's leaders found themselves fighting on two separate fronts: one to save the economy from U.S. sanctions and the other to save lives and the economy from the pandemic. -Djavad Salehi-Isfahani, Responsible Statecraft 9/24/20

The new cases of coronavirus in Iran hit an all-time high on Tuesday amid a warning by Health Minister Saeed Namaki that the third wave of the pandemic has just flared up in the country. Over the past 24 hours, 3,712 new cases of the disease were identified and 178 deaths were registered, Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima-Sadat Lari announced on Tuesday. The total number of fatalities so far has reached 24,656, she confirmed. 9/23/20

Iran appears to be in the grip of a "third wave" of the coronavirus outbreak, with the number of new infections above 3,000 a day - as high as at any point since the virus first hit in February. Iran was one of the first countries to be struck by the virus outside China. Its officials brought the disease under a form of control by early May, but then experienced an increase at the start of June that drifted down to fewer than 1,600 new cases a day in late August. -Guardian 9/18/20

A second Iranian pharmaceutical company has unveiled a special drug for treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS), saying it would rival a patented Israeli medication whose imports into Iran has been banned merely because of political reasons. Copamer is the brand name for a domestic version of glatiramer acetate, the medication vastly used to treat MS. -Press TV 9/17/20

The World Health Organization (WHO), through a donation by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) in Germany, has provided Iran with over 67,500 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) tests. The tests, which measure the number of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) in individuals, will be used for research and surveillance in Iran. 9/15/20

UNICEF has procured 421 pulse oximeters, 293 digital gun thermometers, 76,500 latex gloves, 4,000 N95 masks, 2,354 boxes of diapers and 6,640 litres of surface sanitizers which were distributed among SWO rehabilitation centres and nurseries. -Bahareh Yeganehfar, UNICEF 9/15/20

The third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic is looming in some provinces across the country mainly as a result of reopening businesses, offices, and educational centers, Alireza Raeisi, the deputy health minister has stated. In the press briefing on Tuesday, Sima-Sadat Lari confirmed 2,139 new cases of COVID-19 infection, raising the total number of infections to 407,353. 9/15/20

In a letter to World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Iranian Health Minister Saeed Namaki called for a global call to remove Iran's drug and food sanctions, noting that the world medical community, by its oath, has a humanistic duty to take action in this regard. "Despite our all-out fight against COVID-19, Iran is facing a unilateral, unlawful, and flagrant violation of international laws by the U.S. government, which withdrew from JCPOA, to initiate extensive, comprehensive and cruel sanctions against the citizens of my country." Namaki wrote. 9/10/20

The Iranian Health Ministry has confirmed 2,152 COVID-19 infections and 117 deaths due to the disease in the past 24 hours. Iran's Health Ministry Spokesperson Sima Lari made the announcement on Monday, saying that the number of total coronavirus cases in the country has so far reached 388,810 with the death toll standing at 22,410. 9/7/20

Even as the number of coronavirus deaths has fallen in the last few weeks, Iranian officials are warning that the country will soon witness a third wave. According to Health Ministry spokesperson Sima Sadat Lari, Iran had almost 2,000 new confirmed coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, bringing the total documented infections in the country to 380,000. -Al Monitor 9/4/20

Azadeh Dastmalchi's search for a user-friendly blood pressure test triggered a decade-long research effort that ultimately spawned a groundbreaking wearable device and led the University of Ottawa PhD candidate to launch her own company. On Wednesday, the biomedical engineering student and budding entrepreneur earned some well-deserved time in the spotlight. -David Sali, Ottawa Business Journal 9/3/20

The Iranian Health Ministry has confirmed 1,994 COVID-19 infections and 129 deaths due to the disease in the past 24 hours. Iran's Health Ministry Spokesperson Sima Lari made the announcement on Thursday, saying that the number of total coronavirus cases in the country has so far reached 380,746 with the death toll standing at 21,926. 9/3/20

Iran's health minister said that the world's top insulin-maker, Novo Nordisk of Denmark, had unveiled on Monday a production line of the drug in Iran. Saeed Namaki inaugurated the plant's production line, located in Alborz province, via video conference, the government website reported. -Bourse & Bazaar 9/1/20

Gelareh Zadeh speaks about the first time she observed a brain operation the same way one might describe discovering a precious jewel. As a medical student in the early 1990s, she recalls being mesmerized by a skillful neurosurgeon delicately working on the unruly snarl of blood vessels of an arteriovenous malformation. "It was so tantalizing," she says, explaining how the experience put her on the path to choosing it as her specialty. "Technically, it's really a beautiful field." -Wency Leung, Globe and Mail 8/26/20

Doctors and nurses have hard days during coronavirus pandemic. They wear PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) and face masks in the hot weather of summer. Many people stay away from others to protect themselves from coronavirus, but doctors risk their lives and try their best to save ill patients. These photographs were taken from Razi Hospital of Ahvaz on the occasion of Doctors' Day in Iran. -Amin Nazari, ISNA 8/25/20

The World Health Organization (WHO) has praised the Iranian nurses for playing an effective role in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Since March 25, it is reported that 164 healthcare workers in the country have lost their lives due to the coronavirus infection 8/24/20

Iran surpassed 20,000 confirmed deaths from the coronavirus on Wednesday, the health ministry said - the highest death toll for any Middle East country so far in the pandemic. The announcement came as the Islamic Republic, which has been struggling with both the region's largest outbreak and the highest number of fatalities, went ahead with university entrance exams for over 1 million students. Iran is also preparing for mass Shiite commemorations later this month. -AP 8/19/20

"These devices are important for the evaluation of COVID-19 patients. They will be delivered to many hospitals across the country to be installed in intensive care units and other wards that are treating patients with COVID-19. They have been sponsored by the State of Kuwait and the Government of Japan, at a total value of about USD 3 million, and we are grateful for their support," said Dr. Christoph Hamelmann, the WHO Representative in the Islamic Republic of Iran. 8/18/20

The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has infected 2,625 people and claimed 174 lives in Iran in the past 24 hours, a senior health official said. Iran's Health Ministry Spokesperson Sima Lari made the announcement on Thursday, saying that the number of total coronavirus cases in the country has so far reached 336,324 with the death toll standing at 19,162. 8/13/20

Iranian painter and graphic designer Behzad Shishegaran has displayed a selection of his self-portraits wearing a face mask to encourage people to put on face masks during the coronavirus epidemic. He has tried to put the spotlight on the role of a face mask during the pandemic in saving one's life through his own language of art. 8/11/20

Iranian President Hassan Rohani says a state of emergency imposed in the country because of the coronavirus pandemic will remain in place at least until the end of January 2021. "We have been in this situation for six months and we must prepare ourselves for another six months at least," Rohani said in a statement published on his website on August 9. -RFE/RL 8/10/20

BBC Persian recently published data on COVID-19 statistics in Iran citing anonymous sources, stating the death toll there is three times higher than the official figures: 42,000 versus the 14,405 in official Iranian Health Ministry reports. The number of those infected in official statements has allegedly been halved: 278,000 instead of 451,000. Kianush Jahanpur, head of the Public Relations and Information Centre of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education of the Islamic Republic of Iran, speaking to Sputnik, has dispelled BBC reports -Sputnik 8/6/20

Iran earns some $500 million annually by exporting medicinal herbs, an official with the Vice Presidency for Science and Technology said. About $350 million of the revenue is related to saffron and the rest is related to other medicinal herbs, IRNA quoted Mohammad Hassan Asareh as saying on Wednesday. 8/5/20

Iran was among the earliest countries to suffer a major Covid-19 outbreak, and was also one of the first to suffer a resurgence. It drew scrutiny for scenes of pilgrims licking holy shrines, questionable death figures and a belated government response that saw a slew of top officials contract the disease. As the virus spread, though, governments elsewhere also proved slow to grasp the threat and other leaders fell ill or were exposed to the virus. Yet the Islamic Republic remains unique in one way: It's dealing with the pandemic while under some of the most damaging sanctions in history, and is trying to leverage the crisis to get them lifted. -Marc Champion and Golnar Motevalli, Washington Post 8/4/20

The number of deaths from coronavirus in Iran is nearly triple what Iran's government claims, a BBC Persian service investigation has found. The government's own records appear to show almost 42,000 people died with Covid-19 symptoms up to 20 July, versus 14,405 reported by its health ministry. The number of people known to be infected is also almost double official figures: 451,024 as opposed to 278,827. -BBC 8/3/20

The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has infected 2,674 people and claimed 197 lives in Iran in the past 24 hours, a senior health official said. Iran's Health Ministry Spokesperson Sima Lari made the announcement on Friday, saying that the number of total coronavirus cases in the country has so far reached 304,204 with the death toll standing at 16,766. 7/31/20

The Iranian Health Ministry announced 2,621 new cases of infection with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the past 24 hours, putting the total number of cases in the country at 301,530. Speaking at a daily press conference on Thursday, Health Ministry Spokeswoman Sima Lari put the death toll from the coronavirus in Iran at 16,569, saying the disease has taken the lives of 226 patients over the past 24 hours. 7/30/20

The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has infected 2,636 people and claimed 196 lives in Iran in the past 24 hours, a senior health official said. Iran's Health Ministry Spokesperson Sima Lari made the announcement on Wednesday, saying that the number of total coronavirus cases in the country has so far reached 298,909 with the death toll standing at 16,343. 7/29/20

The drug "Tocilizumab", confirmed to be effective in the coronavirus treatment, has been produced in Iran and will be distributed in hospitals in the next two weeks, IRNA reported on Monday. In addition to Remdesivir, Tocilizumab has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to help partially improve COVID-19, Heydar Mohammadi, an official with Food and Drug Administration said. 7/28/20

This week, Iran announced its highest single-day death toll from COVID-19 since the start of the outbreak in February. The uptick in cases and deaths is the result of a new wave of infections that began May 3rd, two weeks after the gradual easing of the country's partial lockdown in mid-April. Coincident with the upsurge has been a drop of 13% this past month in the value of Iran's currency, reflecting not only the economic impact of the virus, but a disinclination by exporters to repatriate their foreign currency. -Roxane Farmanfarmaian, ELN 7/24/20

COVID-19 pandemic has taken the lives of 138 healthcare workers so far in Iran, most of whom were doctors and physicians, Hossein Kermanpour, the director of public relations of Medical Council, has announced. The healthcare workers who lost their lives in the fight against coronavirus are called martyrs of health. 7/23/20

The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has claimed the lives of 221 people in Iran in the past 24 hours, putting the total death toll at 15,074 as of Thursday. Health Ministry Spokesperson Sima Lari said on Thursday, that the novel coronavirus disease also infected 2,621 people in Iran in the past 24 hours, increasing the total cases to 284,034. 7/23/20

The World Health Organization (WHO) has delivered 16 CT scan machines to strengthen Islamic Republic of Iran's emergency response to COVID-19. CT scanning is a key component of clinical diagnosis of COVID-19 patients. The units, worth more than US$ 4 million, were procured by WHO through support from the governments of Japan and Kuwait. 7/23/20

The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has infected 2,586 people in Iran in the past 24 hours, increasing the total cases to 281,413, said Health Ministry Spokesperson Sima Lari on Wednesday. Speaking in her daily briefing, Lari said that 1,934 of the new confirmed cases have been hospitalized. She added that 219 people died of the disease in the past 24 hours, putting the total number of deaths in the country at 14,853. 7/22/20

The COVID-19 outbreak in Iran has turned out to be technology's time to shine. The available technology to help fight the virus is not anything new, but the National Innovation Fund and startups are using just that to slow the transmission of the disease. This includes using smart phones to report sickness and mapping local clusters. -Press TV 7/21/20

Iranian health officials have tried to play down President Hassan Rohani's estimate that as many as 25 million Iranians could have been infected with the coronavirus since the beginning of the outbreak. Rohani on July 18 cited a new study by the Health Ministry in offering the unprecedentedly high number of 25 million coronavirus cases. Iran's population is around 81 million people. 7/20/20

Hospitals in Iran face acute shortages of medical personnel and beds as the country tackles a powerful second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, a senior official of Tehran's anti-coronavirus task force said on Thursday. Iran recorded 13,608 related deaths as of Thursday, including 198 in the previous 24 hours, according to Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari speaking on state TV. -Reuters 7/16/20

The Iranian Health Ministry announced 2,388 new cases of infection with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the past 24 hours, putting the total number of cases in the country at 264,561. Speaking at a daily press conference on Wednesday, Health Ministry Spokeswoman Sima Lari put the death toll from the coronavirus in Iran at 13,410, saying the disease has taken the lives of 199 patients over the past 24 hours. 7/15/20

One fifth of the daily deaths in the country are related to coronavirus, which is alarming and worrisome, deputy minister of health has said. About 1,050 people die every day in the country, more than 200 of whom are among COVID-19 patients, IRNA quoted Iraj Harirchi as saying on Tuesday. 7/14/20

Iranian President Hassan Rohani called for large public gatherings such as weddings and funerals to be temporarily banned to slow a rise in coronavirus infections, but he shied away from recommending another round of curbs on economic activity. The country's Health Ministry on Monday reported more than 203 new fatalities and almost 2,349 new cases in the last 24 hours, bringing the total infections to 259,652, with 13,032 dead. 7/13/20

Canada's Liberal government is still sustaining economic sanctions on Iran despite the COVID-19 pandemic. As public health officials now struggle with rising infection rates in what appears to be a second wave in Iran, Canada's sanctions must come to an end. Economic sanctions are hindering the ability of Iran's public healthcare system to deal with the pandemic and have detrimentally impacted public health for years in key areas, including cancer care. -Stefan Christoff, rabble.ca 7/9/20

First the wounded veteran, then the unpaid security guard, then the hungry child. The powerful images of hopelessness came one after another, creating mounting waves of shock for Iranians who may have thought themselves inured to tales of desperation, destitution, and political angst. Yet decades after Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution seized power in the name of "social justice" for the poor and "oppressed," and amid deepening economic collapse, Iran is battling a surge of suicides seen as a barometer of the ever-widening gap between the political leadership and society.-Scott Peterson, CSM 7/9/20

Iran's total number of coronavirus cases has reached 250,458 and a record 221 people died of the disease over the past 24 hours, raising the overall death toll to 12,305, the Health Ministry said on Thursday. Iran, the Middle East country hardest hit by the pandemic, has suffered a new spike in the number of daily infections and deaths in recent weeks as lockdown measures have been relaxed to help the economy revive. -Reuters 7/9/20

Iran's coronavirus death toll exceeded 12,000 on Wednesday, the health ministry said, with 153 deaths in the past 24 hours, amid a sharp rise in the number of daily infections and deaths in the past week as lockdown measures have eased. The total number of infections has reached 248,379, with 209,463 people having recovered, ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said in a statement on state TV. -Reuters 7/8/20

Iran has recorded its highest single-day death toll since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, reporting 163 deaths in the last 24 hours on July 5. The total exceeded the previous record of 162 deaths set on June 29. Health officials also said 2,560 new infections were recorded in the previous 24 hours. 7/6/20

A powerful explosion at a medical clinic in northern Tehran has killed at least 19 people, Iranian media report. Authorities initially said that 13 people were killed and six others injured in the blast at the Sina At'har health center on June 30. But Jalal Maleki, spokesman for the Tehran fire department, was quoted as saying that firefighters recovered six more bodies after the ensuing blaze was extinguished. 7/1/20

The COVID-19 new cases and mortality in the country show an alarming increase in comparison to previous days, Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari has said. "Undoubtedly, the increasing trend reflects our [weak] performance in reopening and non-compliance with health protocols, she lamented, ISNA reported on Monday. 6/29/20

Iran has announced that it will make the wearing of masks mandatory at indoor gathering places as the number of coronavirus fatalities recorded in a single day rose by the highest number in nearly three months. The measure announced by President Hassan Rohani on June 28 was accompanied by news that hard-hit provinces would be allowed to reimpose restrictions aimed at countering the impact of the virus. 6/29/20

Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has once again slammed the United States for imposing 'inhumane' sanctions on the Iranian nation, saying Washington hinders Tehran's access to medicine needed for victims of chemical-weapon attacks and other patients. The Ministry made the remarks in a tweet on Sunday on the occasion of the National Day of Countering Chemical and Microbial Weapons. -Press TV 6/29/20

Iran is approaching 10,000 deaths from the coronavirus outbreak in the country, according to official figures from the Ministry of Health. There have been nearly 200,000 people infected with the new coronavirus in the Islamic Republic and the number deaths in a single day from the pandemic topped 100 for the first time in two months on Sunday. -Reuters 6/19/20

Months into Iran's fight against the coronavirus, doctors and nurses at Tehran's Shohadaye Tajrish Hospital still don a mask, a disposable hazmat suit and a double layer of latex gloves every day to attempt to contain a pandemic that shows no signs of slowing. The hiss of high-flow oxygen to wheezing patients, the beeps of equipment monitoring vital signs and the crinkling rustle of passing medics have become a daily symphony here and in other hospitals across the Islamic Republic. -AP 6/17/20

Iran's state hospitals and clinics are no longer performing vasectomies or giving out contraceptives in an attempt to revive flagging population growth, a senior health official has told state media. Iranian women were now having 1.7 children on average, well below the 2.2 required to maintain the population, Hamed Barakati, director general of the Ministry of Health's Office of Population and Family Health, told the Islamic Republic News Agency in an interview on Sunday. -Michael Safi, Guardian 6/16/20

The number of deaths from COVID-19 in Iran has exceeded 100 for the first time in two months, the country's Health Ministry said on June 14. Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari announced 107 coronavirus fatalities in the past 24 hours, raising the overall death toll to 8,837. She said the number of infections had reached 187,427, with 2,472 new infections recorded in the past 24 hours. 6/15/20

Iran was among the earliest countries to suffer a major Covid-19 outbreak, and now is one of the first to suffer a resurgence... As the virus spread, though, governments elsewhere also proved slow to grasp the threat and other leaders fell ill or were exposed to the virus. Yet the Islamic Republic remains unique in one way: It's dealing with the pandemic while under some of the most damaging sanctions in history, and is trying to leverage the crisis to get them lifted. -Marc Champion & Golnar Motevalli, Bloomberg 6/15/20

Iran started to relax its lockdown in mid-April, after the number of infections declined, so is it paying the price? New infections have been averaging more than 3,000 a day in the first week of June - a 50% increase on the previous week. -BBC 6/11/20

Iran's Health Ministry has announced that students of medicine, dentistry, and pharmacology will be required to take two courses in traditional medicine, Iranian media reported on June 8. In recent weeks, a number of self-proclaimed experts in Islamic medicine created controversy by promoting unproven and potentially dangerous coronavirus treatments. Health officials have warned about fake coronavirus remedies, including illegal herbal products sold online. 6/10/20

Described by US dermatologists as "the most painful disease you've never heard of," EB is caused by a genetic mutation and occurs in every 1 in 30,000 to 50,000 live births globally. Characterised by extreme fragility of the skin and mechanically induced blistering, EB patients are often referred to as 'butterfly children' because their skin appears as delicate as that of a butterfly wing. There is no cure. -Shenaz Kermalli, Atlantic Council 6/10/20

Venezuela has received an air cargo shipment of aid from Iran in another sign that ties between the Islamic republic and the South American country -- both targets of U.S. sanctions -- are strengthening. The flight carried humanitarian aid for COVID-19 patients, including test kits and medical supplies, Planning Minister Ricardo Menendez said. He also said President Nicolas Maduro will visit Iran as soon as possible to thank it for the humanitarian aid and for crude oil it has recently sent to Venezuela. 6/9/20

Iran's Health Minister Saeed Namaki on Tuesday replaced the ministry's spokesman who had become a familiar face during the coronavirus crisis. He advised the new appointee to refrain from "political games" and concentrate on the ministry's expert and specialized activities. Dr. Sima Sadat Lari, the Students Affairs Deputy of the Ministry, who has replaced Dr. Kianoush Jahanpur as spokesperson is a member of the Radiology Faculty of Hamedan University of Medical Sciences. 6/9/20